In the beginning.
Ohio Boys Make Good
Todd Silberman and Mitch Rofsky met many years ago as Cubs in an Ohio Cub Scout troop. Little did they know that someday they would create Better World Club, Inc. Wouldn't their den mother be proud?
Better World Club's founders worked their way through law school in the '70s, Todd as a travel agent, Mitch with winnings from game shows like the Joker's Wild. Upon graduating, Todd sensed the airline industry was beginning to deregulate. He seized the opportunity and co-founded the third-largest travel agency in the U.S. before selling it to American Express in the early '90s. Todd was an innovator at the cutting edge of the fast-evolving industry.
Meanwhile, Mitch dedicated himself to public interest policy, working for Ralph Nader's Public Citizen and founding American Consumer Insurance, which is now Better World Insurance. Mitch has also been present at the creation of a number of important progressive business institutions: the National Cooperative Bank (over $1 billion in assets), the Working Assets Mutual Funds (its successor maintains over $1 billion in assets; it also spun off the popular Working Assets/Credo Long Distance). In 1992, Mitch became the first Chair of Business for Social Responsibility. Joining him on the Board of Directors were such prominent businesses as Ben & Jerry’s, Stride Rite Shoes, Reebok, and Hasbro. He also serves as a director of the American Council for Sustainable Business, which is a coalition of responsible business organizations.
The Right Idea at the Right Time
With the opening of Better World Insurance, Mitch was approached by environmentalists who were fighting AAA on issues like Clean Air and Mass Transit. Mitch thought there was an opportunity to compete with AAA as well, and Todd agreed. Soon, Tom and Ray of Car Talk, who had their own disagreements with AAA, joined in. Better World Club has grown through the efforts of a committed staff whose dedication to social responsibility spans every aspect of travel--whether driving to work, flying around the world, or riding a bike.